


A Hike To Oscar's

by EyePencils



Category: Blaseball (Video Game)
Genre: Casual, Friendship, Gen, Magical, yellowstone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:42:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29805165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EyePencils/pseuds/EyePencils
Summary: Eizabeth Elliott ropes Yeong-ho Garcia along for a trip through Yellowstone National Parkpark, to the forest that fellow Magic player Oscar Dollie calls his domain. She's got questions, questions that seem to have too many answers, and for the scientific mind, it's important to find the truth.Oscar is just trying to have a day.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	A Hike To Oscar's

Two travelers wound their way through the thick forested mountainside of Yellowstone National Park. Navigating the tangle of root and branch wasn't easy, but it would be far from the most difficult thing they would do today. As the leader pushes the low-hanging branches out of her path, one whips back and collides with the face of her companion. He recoils and clutches his forehead, letting out a quiet stream of curse words, before taking in a breath through clenched teeth. He continues following his seemingly apathetic - or oblivious - Friend. The truth was she didn't notice; she was too in awe with the heavenly blue skies above her to help the other hiker. 

"It really goes to show," She would say aloud, "You can spend an entire month traveling across the Park and still find something new to marvel at." 

"Shame I'm missing it." Mutters the young man as he rubs one of his eyes. "I'm sure it's suuuuper different than the last acre of forest we've hiked through." The one that he could still see out of was transfixed on a single direction -- The downside of having a crystal eye.

The lead traveler was dressed for the occasion. Hiking boots for traction, with shorts and a tanktop that wouldn't catch on an errant twig. A hairband to keep her stark white hair out of her brilliant green eyes. A backpack that was light enough to carry unencumbered, and a water bottle that dangled off one of its straps. She looked like someone who did this often. This, in this instance, referring to hiking.

The same could not be said for her companion's attire. He wore a wide-brimmed hat that was pushed back on his head so that he could see where he was going. Two layers of shirts, with one now clinging to his skin from the sweat. Denim jeans. He had a messenger bag slung over his shoulder, with a collection of badges sewn onto the flap. Most were corvid related, which was a good indication as to why there were crows perching on him. He looked like someone who didn't do this often. This, in this instance, referring to physical exertion.

"We shouldn't be too far now, Yeong-ho!" She calls over her shoulder. "We crest this ridge and we should be in Oscar's territory. Then, if what Mister Wise said was correct, he should easily find *us*."

"I could have-" The man named Yeong-ho replies between strained grunts. "- Followed on my broomstick. If you just told me we were going several miles out, Eiz, I-" His foot catches on a gnarled root and he nearly loses his balance. "- Hgk- I would've brought it with me!" He leans against a tree, and he visibly reconsiders his own words. "... Actually I probably wouldn't have come along in the first place, but *that's beside the point."* He grumbles, then continues to hike after the woman named Eiz. "I don't actually get what's so- Hfff-- Important that you need Oscar's input, of all th-ow."

Yeong-ho collides with the back of Eiz's backpack and nearly falls over backwards. The Crows on his shoulder distressedly caw until he manages to stabilize. He peers from behind his companion to see the valley below.

Eiz lets out a low whistle. Nestled between the hills and gorges of the park, amidst a sprawl of coniferous trees, was a fantastic sight. The evening light shimmered through the needles, appearing almost mirage-like. From their vantage point, the rivers snaked off into the trees and split haphazardly into opposite directions, coming to unnatural stops amidst the obfuscating forest. Low balls of light could be seen illuminating the canopies from below- faintly enough to be seen from their vantage point, until they looked directly at it. Then it looked just like an ordinary patch of forest.

Yeong-ho saw something slightly different through his crystal eye. A completely normal forest. He recognized what was going on, but the glamor didn't register for one half of his face.

"Cool. Looks exactly like the last acre of forest we hiked through." He says glibly. Eiz was still ogling the seemingly unnatural forestscape before her. Yeong-ho busies himself by digging through his messenger bag until he finds a large spool of red string. Eiz turns back to the witchy boy.

“Can’t believe you’re miss-- What is that?” She asks, pointing to his string.That attention soon turns to the red welts across Yeong-ho’s face, and the curiosity quickly turns to mild concern. “Holy crap, are you OK?”

Yeong-ho gives an incredulous, flat stare to his friend before proffering the string.

“First, I’m fine, but thanks for noticing. Second, this is a salted string. We tie it to one of these trees up here before descending down into the Valley so that we don’t get lost. And before you ask!” He snaps, pointing a finger at Eiz to stop her interjection. “Yes, this is a magic thing. Maps aren’t going to be helpful and following a compass is asking for trouble.” She sighs. _Would trouble have been so bad?_

Yeong-ho gestures upwards, and one of the crows flies into the air. It circles over the valley in a lazy loop. The Witch ties the string around the tree next to him, and then points down the hill.

“After you.”

At that, the two descend into the mysterious valley, as the Sun touches the crest of the surrounding mountains. Darkness was about to fall.

…

Pale blue lights shimmer in the shade of the black forest. A pale crescent moon among a blanket of stars canvas the night skies above them. What light from above that could penetrate the veil over the valley only lengthened the shadows cast by errant branches. The crunch of needles underfoot only echoed amidst the trees, sounding more like bones being crushed as they bounced back to the two. An owl’s call sounds elongated, resembling an eerie wail more than anything. And the faint giggling of strange entities mere meters away from the travelers whisper seductive invitations to follow deeper off their already unwalked path. You weren’t supposed to travel this valley at night. 

But most of these haunting sounds are ignored by the travelers. Eiz seems preoccupied with bombarding Yeong-ho with questions- With Yeong-ho answering in earnest.

“So there isn’t a school you go to for magic?” She asks, emerald eyes practically bugging out of her skull as she stares at Yeong-ho from behind. “I always thought it would at least be similar--”

The Witch waves a hand dismissively over his shoulder. “Total nonsense. Me and every other witch I’ve ever met’s been homeschooled. You look at Bevan and he’s got his tower of magic, and-” He steps down on a root that was trying to trip him, sinking it back into the earth, “- and his theories, and books, and rigorous studies… But that’s like, ninety percent theory, I wanna say? The only way you can get magic, REAL magic to sit down that long in a classroom was if you bribed it. And you do NOT want to enter a transactional relationship with something like that, believe me.”

Eiz’s head swam with the concepts thrown about by her traveling companion, touching her jawline in thought. Yeong-ho continued.

“Thinking. Feeling. Hearing.” He swirls a hand in the air, twirling his wrist. “I’m not going to knock a wizard for doing things how he does best. But if I’m going to take magic in hand, it’ll be to dance. You know what I mean?” Yeong-ho twirls on his heel to give a meaningful, mirthful stare to Eizabeth. She snaps out of her brief reverie to offer a smile back.

“I never was one for dancing.” She replies.

“And I never was one for hikes, but it’s pretty fun when you do it with friends.”

Yeong-ho slowly steps back in line next to Eiz as they continue their trek through the misty forest, chuckling to themselves. But even as their laughter dies down, Yeong-ho soon notices something awry: The laughter of the forest faded with them. The witch frowns quizzically, stopping Eiz in her tracks and focusing on the treeline around them.

“What is it?”

Yeong-ho blinks. Amidst that stunning silence, a distant knocking and wheezing, buzzing laugh could be heard. He adjusts his hat.

“Not sure.” He mumbles. “Follow me.”

...

In the exact same forest, not too far away, two peculiar figures sit at a folding table, with a grip of playing cards in each of their hands. It was difficult to say which stood out more; On one hand, there was the beacon of radiant light in the shape of a man - His outline wavered and buzzed, but the glow was ceaseless. Unending. He wore a ball cap and a padded vest, though didn’t seem to be wearing pants. Not like it mattered, considering his appearance was more of a blank, glowing canvas.

But across from him was an imposing creature. A bipedal goat, with feathered wings as black as coal. On his head sits a pair of curling, rigid horns. His arms as thick as trunks, his feet curving into two cloven hooves. Facial hair drips down from his chin in long, wisping strands of black fur, and red eyes peer over the cards in his own hand, then down at the cards in play. A third eye blinks open, keeping an eye on the being of light before him. That being was in the process of speaking.

“... So, I says to the Park Rangers, I said, ‘No no, me and Wash, we’re just hanging out. Talking strategy. And the captain is giving me the weirdest look and tells me, ‘Cut the crap, Sutton!’” He throws a free hand up in the air in mock surprise. “Me! Cut the crap! I never bullcrapped anyone in my life, you know, I’m on that straight and narrow. And I tell ‘em as much, and you know what they said to me, Ozzie?”

‘Ozzie’ snorts. “Show your hand, Light Bearer.”

The ‘Light Bearer’ waves the free hand dismissively. “So they said to me, they said, ‘We have to escort you to the geysers, Preston warned us- Can you believe that! You go for a picnic with your buddy _one time,_ he helps you cook a chicken, and-”

The bushes rustle from behind the card-players, and a voice calls out incredulously.

_"Sutton?"_

The being of light IMMEDIATELY springs up from his seat, knocking over the table and sending the cards flying. Ozzie bleats in anger, standing up as well - moreso because of the one named Sutton's reaction. His fist crumples his hand of cards as the man of light immediately attempts to book it.

“NOT ON YOUR LIFE, RANGERS!” He shouts, but his foot was already caught in the folding chair he was sitting on and he face plants the dirt. He lies there prone as Eizabeth and Yeong-ho step out into the clearing. Eiz waves to the goatman.

“Hello Oscar. Night treating you well?”

Oscar breathes out through his nose, standing up to his full height to tower over his new guests. He places a hand over his chest.

“Every night treats me well, Seeker Elliott. Though your timing is…” He glances back at Sutton, still in the dirt. “... Poor. It seems my wager with the Light Bearer will have to wait another day.”

Yeong-ho walks over to the prone, bipedal night light and prods him with their boot.

“Up and at ‘em, Sutton. It’s just us.”

Sutton’s head perks up immediately, and his visage turns to face the witch. His light brightens in response. “Oh! Hello~, Yeong-ho~! Lucky seeing you here. Oscar was just trying to cheat me into more chores, and-”

“You cannot speak ill of my falsehoods when you employed them so readily yourself.”

Sutton waves a hand, which Yeong-ho takes to pulls him to his feet. He dusts off his vest and adjusts his ball cap. “Yeah, yeah. One bad turn deserves another, or something. Anyway! Game’s canceled, so let’s forget it.” Sutton’s hands move to his vest pockets as he beams at Eizabeth and Yeong-ho. “What brings you two to the cursed neck of the woods?”

Yeong-ho hikes a thumb over their shoulder to Eizabeth, who smiles bashfully. Sutton's attention shifts to the scholarly hiker. Eiz speaks up and turns her attention back to Oscar.

“I was actually hoping to ask about how the Park is infused with magic. Bevan sent me to-”

Sutton lets out a low, awkward hiss at the mention of Bevan, and Oscar narrows his eyes.

“Bevan The Fool sent you, did he? A flash of inspiration I did not expect from the charlatan.” Bile seems to drip after every word from the Goat, flexing his black wings and turning to right his chair. “The Fool would have no hope to understand this land. Though I, inexorably tied to the foundations of causality, know well what secret stories it dares to withhold.”

Eizabeth cocks a brow. Sutton clears his throat.

“He means that the magic beings in Yellowstone are aware of where they came from. Big whoop, honestly. I know who my Momma is, even if I haven’t seen her in years.” He shrugs his shoulders emphatically. “Pretty much normal, if you ask me.”

Yeong-ho elbows Sutton and shoots him a look. The _alright pal tone it down_ look. Sutton, presumably, smiles sheepishly. Hard to tell with a blank face. Elizabeth’s stare is still fixated on Oscar.

“So… Are you saying that there ARE a set of laws and rules that define the Park? Where would I go to observe it in person? I’ve been trying to understand--” Her tone rushes forward through her questions, though stops at a hand raised from the goat.

“Halt, Seeker Elliott. Temper your expectations.” Oscar rumbles. “To interact with the foundation of Magic - Nay, this world - is to tamper with reality as we know it. Born I may be of its vexatious crucible, even I know not to gaze into the infinitesimal abyss. Bevan the Fool believes me to know its inscrutable ways, though it is ignorance that spurns his well spun half-truths - I am no more capable of defining the foundations of Yellowstone than he is.” His hand comes to rest on Eizabeth’s shoulder. “Though, I ask you to see your words, and how they tumble endlessly around the heart of the matter. You ask the wrong question in your heart, Eizabeth. See to the experiences the Witch has shared with you-”

“Hey! That was a private conversation, Oz.” Pipes up Yeong-ho. It’s now Sutton’s turn to elbow Yeong-ho, as he gestures to the trees around him. It is Oscar’s domain, after all. “Nevermind,” Yeong-ho mumbles. “Carry on.”

Oscar’s gaze roams from the Witch, back to Eizabeth.

“... And the stories Bevan shared of magic." He continues. "You ask me, Eizabeth Elliott, not what the laws are that define Yellowstone. You ask me what magic is. And there is no set answer.” The goat’s response causes Eiz to deflate slightly, her shoulders slumping under Oscar’s hold. “... But that, in itself, is a freeing concept. You cannot expect everything to fall into categories and boxes of your own mortal imagination. Magic, as your team members can attest, is not something solely to behold.”

Oscar’s hand falls from Eiz’s shoulder, only to soon twist in the air, and to right the fallen table and chairs in the clearing.

“It is a means with which you observe the world. Which, I believe, is a skill which you are already well-versed in.” Somewhere in the shaggy face of Oscar, there is a smile. One which Eiz returns in kind... Though, a bit confused. “You are one who yearns for knowledge. To slake an inexhaustible thirst for knowing. It is unlike the Witch, the Wizard, the Warlock. That tenacity is as much a force, as it is a lens through which you perceive this world. And that, Seeker, is a magic itself. So take heart, Eizabeth.”

There is a long pause following the Goat man's words, long enough for the silence to settle, only to be broken by the idle chatter of Sutton and Yeong-ho discussing their fashion sense. Eizabeth nods. Was this an answer she could settle with? No, probably not. But it was better and a lot less bleak - and diminutive - as Bevan’s explanation. “Thank you, Oscar. I think… I think we’re going to head back to the main trail now.” Yeong-ho tuts as he overhears, waves goodbye to Sutton, and ambles over to Eizabeth’s side. Oscar’s wings flex, and he raises his hand before they leave. They face him.

“Just don’t tell Bevan what I told you." He asks. The goat's face twists into a cheshire grin. "I wish to drive him mad with curiosity.”

The Witch and the Student exchange smirks.

“You got it, you old goat.” Yeong-ho replies. “Come on, Eiz. Let’s go.”

It was going to be a long walk back to camp, after all. But the park was more fascinating at night anyway. They said you weren’t supposed to travel through this valley when it was dark, but right now, the only thing on Eiz’s mind was seeing why. Wasn't that what Oscar was trying to say? That was _her_ magic. She glances at her witchy companion.

“So, Yeong-ho.”

“Yeah, Eiz?”

“Can I watch you dance?”


End file.
